Improvement in fire-extinguishers



1.' TAPLEY.

Fire-Extinguishers.

Patented Mag/12,1874',

' UNITED STATES Brooklyn, Kings county,

PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL J. TAPLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

5 l-MPRovEMENT IN FIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

vSpeciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,729, dated May 12,1874 application filed i February 12, 1874.

To all whom it bmg/concern:

Be it known that yI, DANIEL J. TAPLEY, of State of New York, haveinvented a Repeating Gas-Generatin g Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires,of which the following is a specication:

The object of myinvention is to make a continuously-operatinggas-generating and gasdischarging apparatus for extinguishing fires bymeans of a combination of three gas-generating reservoirs, so arranged,in connection with aseries of eduction and induction ports in a plugvalve and a gas engine and forcepump, that each of the three reservoirswill be charged in succession, to repeat the operationsof the one lastdischarging its gas, and thus constitute a continuously charging anddischarging gas-generating fire-extinguisher.

But, to describe my invention more partieularly, I will refer to theaccompanying drawings, iorming a part of this specification, the

same letters of reference, wherever they occur, referring to like parts.

Figurel is a plan view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical cutsectional view of the same through the line :v m, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4are transverse cut-sectional viewsof the plug -valve and adjacent parts'through' the line .r2 x2, Fig. 2, showing the eduction and inductionports as arranged in the plug, one above the other two, for operatingthe first reservoir. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse cutsectional views ofthe plug-valve and adjacent parts through the line x3 x?, Fig. 2,showing the eduction and induction ports and water and gas dischargingpipes as arranged in the plug for operating the second reservoir. Figs.7 and 8 are transverse out sectional views of the plugval ve andadjacent parts through the line m4 x4, Fig. 2, showing the eduction andinduction ports and feed-water or supply pipe as arranged in the plugfor operating the third reservoir.

Letter A is the bed or frame of the machine or apparatus,vupon which isarranged, by any secure and suitablemeans, three gasgeneratingreservoirs, B, C, and D, in a triangular position, with a central spacebetween them of sufficient area to admit of aplug-core stock, E, of suchsize or diameter as may be required, being inserted therein, to combinesolidly with the sides of the reservoirs next in contact with the sidesof the stock. The reservoirs and core-stock may be made in cast metalyall at one time, and the core for the insertion ofthe plug-valve Fbored out; or the reservoirs and plug-stock made separately, and thenfitted together by any common and well-known means. The depth anddiameter of the reservoirs are intended to be varied according tocircum-v stances and places where intended for use. Through the sides ofthe plug-stock, and communicating with the interior ofthe reservoirs,are, at equal distances apart circumferential] y of the plug-stock,three vertical rows of `eduction and induction ports, each row composedof a series of three ports, Gr, H, and I, which communicate directlywith each of the three reservoirs. Also, through two sides of theplug-stock, at about its middle vertically, and between the verticalrows of eduction and induction ports, are two gas-discharging ports, Jand K, to the external orifices of which hosepipes L and-Z2 are attachedfor carrying oftthe gas and water to extinguish the re. Also, throughthe upper and lower ends, or nearly so, of the plug-stock are two ports,M and N, the upper one of which, M, takes off from the reservoirs theresiduum of unused gas, by means of the pipe l?, to work a gas-motorengine, Q, for working a water-supply pump, R, in connection with thepiston-rod of the gas motor engine while the lower one, N, is for theadmission of the water-supply to thereservoirs from the pump It throughthe pipe S, secured into the external opening ofthe lowermost port N.For the purpose of making the several eduction and induction portsavailable, and making the transfer of water and gas from one reservoirto the other by a succession of operations, a valve plug, F, is insertedinto the core of the plug-stock as accurately as possible, and yet so toadmit of being easily rotated therein when required. In this valve-plugare formed three series ofeduction and induction ports, each seriesconsisting ofa triangle of three ports, T, U, and V, appearing on oneside of the plug, and one port, W, on thebaseA line of U V on the middlepart ofthe opposite side ofthe plug, and each joining in the other atthe center of the plug, so that, as the plug is turned one-third of itsrotation, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6,- 7, and S, each of thereservoirs will, in succession, be brought in connection with theinduction water-supply pipe N to charge the reservoirs with the water asa solvent for the soda or lime, and with the gasdischarging orhose-pipes L to carry the gas and water off to extinguish the fire, andwith. the residuum-exhaust gas-pipe M leading to the gas-motor engine Q,for the purpose of keeping up an automatic supply of water by the useoi' a residuum of gas in the reservoirs too attenuatedI to project to agreat distance upon a lire, but yet having a reserve of power to work asmall gas-en gine and water-supplypump.

Each of the series of eduction and induction ports, T, U, V, and IV, inthe plug-valve are independent of each other series, but duplicates ofeach other, except that each series is so arranged as to operate incombination -with the three vertical rows of eduction and inductionports, G, H, and I, in the plug-stock v(see Fig. 2) when turnedone-third round in the core of the plug-stock.

The method of charging the reservoirs and operating the valve-plug forthat purpose, and discharging the gas and water therefrom to extinguishthe iires is as follows, premising, however, that each of the reservoirshas an acid-charging vessel, y, z, and a?, secured to thel center of theupper end of each reservoir by a screw-coupling, b2 and c2, of which c2forms the female screw or neck of the acid-charging vessel: Across theinner mouth of the acid-vessel is a diaphragm of lead or other suitablematerial, d2, hermetically sealed to prevent the escape of the acid tillbroken by screwing down the female screw, on the withdrawal of adetent-latch, c2, from under its edge, upon the end of a stationarypunch, f2, projecting up the middle of the neck ofthe charging-vessel.Then this is donc the acid will be allowed to discharge into thegasgenerating reservoirs. Then the acid-charging vessels are thusarranged, and the soda supplied into the reservoirs, a supply of water,in the iirst instance, is filled by hand into two of the reservoirs Dand G, and the valve-plug F placed in the position as indicated in theseveral iigures ofthe drawings. The acid-charging vessel or reser` voirD is then screwed down, and the acid therein discharged into thesolution of soda, thereby generating acharge of gas, which, with theabsorbent water, isforced up the pipe g2 and out by the port H, in theplug-stock, into the port W thereof, and out by the discharging-port Jof the plug-stock to the hose-pipe L, to extinguish the fire. When theeffective projectile force of the gas in this reservoir has expendeditself, the plug is turned round one-third of a revolution in the coreof the plug-stock, and the acid in the vessel on the reservoir C isdischarged therein to generate the continuous ow of gas and absorbentwater, which iiows up the pipe g2 and out byA the port H, leading fromthe reservoir O into the port T of the plug, and thence ont by thedischarging-port K of the plug-stock to the hose l2, to extinguish thenre. At the same time the reservoir C is discharging its gas and waterupon the iire the residuum of gas 1n the reservoir D escapes therefromby theport Gr (see Fig. 3) into the port T of the plug-valve; thencedown the core of the plug and out by the port U, Figs. 2 and 4, and portM, through the sides oi' the plug-stock and the pipe l?, to the gasmotorengine Q, to work it. To the piston rod of the gasmotor engine isattached a 'force-pump, It, to inject, automatically,

through the connecting-pipe N a supply of water to the reservoir B, orthird one of the series( Now, it will be obvious that by the time thereservoir (l ceases to have an effective projectile force of gas thereservoir B will be charged with the requisite supply of water by theforce-pump, which to facilitate, a vent, m2, is formed in the upper edgeof the plugvalve, which, coming opposite the port G oi' the receivingreservoiras it is changed from one to the other, allows the pressure toescape while the water is being injected therein.

When thus automatically chargedwith water the acid in like manner, aspreviously described, is projected into the water and soda, and at thesame time the valve-plug is rotated one-third of a revolution so as tocut oft' the discharge of gas from the reservoir C by the hose-pipe Z2,and at the same time establish a communication with the gas-motor engineand supply-water force-pump to charge the reservoir D with water, bymeans of the residuum or reserve of unexpended gas in the reservoir C,thus repeating the operation, as

described, for charging the reservoir B. While the reservoir D is beingcharged the reservoir B is brought into connection with the hosepipe Lfor discharging the gas and water therefrom.

By these operations a continuous supply'of gas is made, which may bekept up by the simple renewal oi' the charges of acid and soda as longas desired, and consequently be capable of being used more effectivelyin extinguishing iires than ii' several independent portableextinguishers were used, and at the same time adapted for use byhre-departments of cities and towns in place of the steam or handfire-engines for throwing water alone to extinguish tires. g Having nowdescribed my invention, I will proceed to set forth what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States: V

l. The combination of the three reservoirs B, C, and D with theplug-stock E, having therein three vertical rows of ports, G, vII and I,communicating with the reservoirs, discharging-ports J and K,exhaust-gas port M,

and water-supply port N, substantially as set forth, and for thepurposes described.

2. The combination of the plug-stock E, made as described, theplug-valve F, having the three series of eduction and induction.

ports T, U, V, and W therein, with the gas generating reservoirs B, G,and D,l\substan tia-ily as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the plug-stock E and plug-valve F with thegas-motor engine Q and force-pump or injector R, substantially asdescribed, and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination ofthe stationary punch f2 `With the diaphragm d2 andacid-charging vessel Y, substantially as described, and for the purposesset fort after its effective projectile force has been ex# pended,'withthe connectingpipes P and N,

plug-valve F, plug-stock E, and gas-genera@ ing; reservoirs, all madeand operated substantially as described. Y DANIEL J. TAPLEY. Witnesses:

CHARLEs L. BARRET, GHAs. R. DURHAM.

